There are several pyrotechnic countermeasure systems that can be used in a vehicle, such as an aircraft or helicopter, for protecting the vehicle against different types of threats.
Existing pyrotechnic countermeasure dispenser systems for dispensing chaff cartridges or the like (radar reflective chaffs, flares etc.) include contacting members of said launching electronic circuitry. The contact members are designed for activation of e.g. pyrotechnic squibs, each of which may be arranged in respective chaff cartridge of the loaded magazine, so that the chaffs can be released from the dispenser individually. The central electronic unit, or power- and control system, of the vehicle, initiates such activation in case of a threat. The empty magazine is removed from the dispenser after landing and a new magazine with chaff cartridges will be mounted in the dispenser of the vehicle before take-off.
Also systems for protection of a vehicle against a possible threat are known, wherein the pyrotechnic countermeasure is launched towards the threat in a controllable manner. Such intelligent pyrotechnic countermeasure is guided and controlled by a separate power- and control system of the vehicle. The intelligent pyrotechnic countermeasure is defined as a countermeasure being thrusted and in-flight controllable with on-board capability to physically prevent an incoming threat from reaching its intended target. A dispenser and power- and control system for the launching and control of such intelligent pyrotechnic countermeasure involves high costs regarding the production and installation of the system in the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,960 discloses a dispenser having a plurality of contacting members for electrical communication with respective chaff squib. The contacting members of the dispenser are coupled to contacting points of an interface plate, wherein the number of firing positions of chaffs in the magazine can be greater than the firing contacts of the breech plate. Selector means allows a first firing signal to pass only to one contact of a pair of contacts arranged in the interface plate and thereafter allow a second signal to pass to the other contact. In such way the dispenser can be fit with a magazine having a large number of chaffs for improving the performance of the dispenser.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,002 discloses a system for defending a vehicle against an incoming threat. An intelligent countermeasure is deployed from the vehicle by means of the system and the countermeasure is guided by the system to a desired orientation relative to the threat.
There is thus a need for providing a pyrotechnic countermeasure dispensing system that is cost effective to produce and implement to a vehicle, which system can be used for both dispensing chaff cartridges or the like (radar reflective chaffs, flares etc.) and intelligent pyrotechnic countermeasures.
Since high costs are involved in applying and maintaining a chaff/flare countermeasure dispensing system and at the same time a separate intelligent countermeasure dispensing system to a vehicle, there is a desire to make the system as cost-effective as possible for achieving a satisfactory defend of the vehicle, i.e. both the application of chaff/flare countermeasure and the application of intelligent pyrotechnic countermeasure for the total defend of the vehicle. Today these kinds of systems are working independently of each other.